Koorgestoelte in de Sint-Lambertuskerk te Wouw before 1889

Editor: Here we have "Koorgestoelte in de Sint-Lambertuskerk te Wouw," a photograph of the choir stalls in the Church of Saint Lambertus, taken before 1889. The geometry of the wooden architecture creates an interesting composition, especially when seen from this unusual upward perspective. What's your take on this print? Curator: This photograph, though documenting a seemingly 'high' architectural subject, reveals a lot about the material culture of its time. Notice the reproduction technique itself – the print. It democratizes access to this architectural detail, turning ornate craftsmanship into a commodity, an object of consumption. What can be learned when shifting this elaborate artisanal creation into mass-produced imagery? Editor: So, you're saying the photograph is interesting less for the choir stalls themselves, and more for what it tells us about making art accessible? Curator: Precisely. Consider the labour involved: not just the original carving of the wood, but also the photographic process, the printing, and the distribution. It's all part of a complex chain of production, a system by which the visual vocabulary of the church is turned into a product. And to whom would that be sold? Consider the implied viewer, too. Editor: That’s a point I hadn’t considered. So it invites us to look at even religious structures as products of labor and commerce? Curator: Indeed. How does shifting from thinking of these carvings as pious decoration, to seeing them as objects shaped by social and economic forces change how we understand the intent behind their design, the way we give or receive meaning? Editor: It gives it a totally different dimension to its understanding. Now I’m wondering how it was marketed. Thanks! Curator: It's all about recognizing the materiality and social implications inherent in art production. Glad I could provide an alternate perspective.